by Tonya Brooks
“Pop!” Matt shouted franticly, holding her cradled against him as tenderly as if she were a child. “Call an ambulance!”
~~~~
Fortunately, Brett arrived then with an ambulance right behind him. Since he'd been at an accident on the other side of town when Luke had called to report an attempted rape, he'd had to wait for a deputy to arrive and take over before he could leave. Due to the sensitive nature of the crime, as well as the victim involved, Luke had asked him to handle the arrest personally. From what he could tell at first glance, it was just as well that he had.
The scene was nearly beyond description.
The semi-conscious, bloody heap crumpled on the ground, and in dire need of medical attention judging from the sound of his moans, in no wise even resembled the town barber. His best friend, who incidentally, was one of the most rational, level headed men he knew, appeared to have completely lost his mind. Matt was soaking wet and ranting like a deranged lunatic for the paramedics to tend his unconscious wife, who looked like she'd been dragged backward through a briar patch, and then he refused to let go of her so they could check for injuries.
Jedidiah seemed to have aged ten years and looked as if he'd been through the briars as well, while the rest of the brothers appeared to have been in a hell of a fight. Their clothes were bloodstained, rumpled and torn, they sported an assortment of bruises and cuts, yet Matt barely had a scratch on him. And he didn’t even want to know why John was only wearing one shoe, or how its mate had wound up in the lake.
Brett sighed and realized it was going to be one of those days. He'd foolishly believed those kind of days were over when he'd moved to a small town. Unfortunately, Lakeside wasn't the average small town and its citizens were as unpredictable as hell. The Baker men all began to try and fill him in on what had happened at the same time, but none of it made sense as they kept interrupting each other.
He quieted them down enough to piece together the story while Harley and Cass received medical attention, and then asked the three men covered in blood and bruises, “So who beat the hell out of Cass?”
Oddly enough they had nothing to say after that. The Baker brother's had closed ranks to protect one of their own and he knew damn well that he wouldn't get any more answers out of them.
The paramedics loaded Cass in the ambulance and left with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Since Matt had flatly refused to allow his unconscious wife out of his sight, or to even release her from his protective embrace, Brett drove the two of them and Jedidiah to the hospital in his jeep while the brothers followed them. A deputy was dispatched to pick up Harley's mother at Jedidiah's request and fortunately Stella was at the house to watch the children.
The scene at the emergency room wasn't much better when the distraught mother arrived. Claire rushed into Jedidiah's arms, demanding to know what had happened to her daughter, and the men all began trying to tell her at once. The sight of the Baker brother's looking like they'd been in a war and come out on the losing end did nothing to calm her fears about the situation.
“Quiet!” The Police Chief thundered and was actually surprised when they obeyed the command. “Luke, you and your brothers need to let the doctors check you over and then I want you all to come down to the station and give me a statement,” he informed them in a no nonsense tone. “Jed, I'll need yours as well, but right now you need to explain the situation to Claire and calm her down before she sees her daughter.”
“We'll do that, Chief.” The older man agreed with a stern look at his sons to behave themselves as he held Claire protectively against his side.
“I'm gonna go talk to Matt and see if I can get any sense out of him,” he said tiredly. At least he hoped like hell he could. The man had been a complete basket case earlier.
“I believe my brother should have counsel present when you question him.” Luke informed the chief.
“I'd say you're probably right.” Brett agreed.
He knew damn well that Matt had been the one who had beaten the barber beyond recognition and had fought off his brothers when they intervened. The man had been trained as a warrior from birth and his entire body could be registered as a lethal weapon. They had sparred together enough for the chief to know what his friend was capable of. Matt had it in him to kill if necessary, and a man threatening his wife would have been a powerful motivator.
They found him pacing the floor anxiously outside the room where Harley was being examined and the man looked like he had been through hell. “How is she?” Brett asked in genuine concern.
“Hell, I don't know.” Matt complained with a worried scowl. “The nurse threw me out.”
He stifled a smile at the idea of someone making Matt do something he didn't want to do. “I need to get a statement from you.” Brett said without preamble.
“Not now, Brett.” Matt growled and flexed his bruised, aching hands.
He understood his friends concern for his wife, but even so, he still had a job to do. “As soon as we know how she's doing,” he conceded and received a nod in response.
The nurse stepped out of the room and Matt demanded anxiously, “How is she?”
“Are you a relative?” She demanded as she looked him over. He appeared to be almost as shaken up as the patient.
“I'm her husband.”
That explained why he looked like hell, but not why he was soaking wet. “She's in shock and has some minor scrapes and abrasions, but otherwise the doctor says she's fine,” she informed him in a blunt manner. “He's going to keep her overnight for observation.”
“Can I see her now?” Matt asked hopefully.
“No. He's giving her a sedative to make her sleep,” she explained in the same curt tone. “Rest is the best thing for her now and you look like you're in need of medical attention yourself.”
“I'm fine,” he refused.
“I'll be the judge of that.” She said sternly and took him by the arm to lead him into the exam room across the hall.
The two men suppressed a smile as they watched him being bullied by a woman barely five feet tall who weighed no more than a hundred pounds. If a man had tried that tactic, they knew Matt would have put him on his ass without a second’s hesitation, but he just didn't have it in him to hurt a woman.
“I'll bring him in as soon as the dragon lady releases him.” Luke offered.
“I'll see you then.” Brett agreed before he went to find out how Cass was doing.
It wasn't good. The broken nose that Harley had given him was the least of his problems. The preliminary examination revealed his jaw was broken in two places with several teeth missing, over half of his ribs were fractured, he had two broken arms, both legs were fractured in several places, his pelvis was shattered and a severe concussion. He also had an assortment of cuts, bruises and abrasions, and there was blood in his urine from bruised kidneys. Most disturbing of all, his testicles had been crushed so severely that they would have to be surgically removed to avoid necrosis or gangrene.
Essentially, Cass has been castrated.
Matt had really worked him over, but the amazing thing was that the barber was still alive. Matt could have easily killed him, but he hadn't used the lethal force he was more than capable of. From the brutal beating he had given, it was obvious that Matt had wanted to inflict as much pain on the other man as possible before he killed him. Thank God, his brothers had been there to prevent that from happening.
~~~~
Two hours later he had questioned each of the Baker men individually and now he sat across the desk from the best friend he had made in this town. Matt had waived his right to have counsel present and bluntly told Luke to get the hell out when it was his turn for questioning. Brett pulled a bottle of whiskey and two glasses out of the desk drawer and poured a shot in each of them. “You look like you need this,” he commented wryly as he pushed one across the desk.
“Thanks.” Matt said as he picked up the glass and tossed back the whiskey. “How much trouble a
m I in, Brett?”
“It's bad,” Brett admitted and poured them both a refill. “How bad will depend on what you did and why.”
Matt met his gaze evenly and said without an ounce of remorse, “I tortured the bastard because he brutally beat and raped my wife thirteen years ago and tried to do it again today. If my brothers hadn't interfered, I would have killed him.”
The chief grimaced at the admission. “Trust me when I tell you as your friend, not to repeat that statement again,” he advised seriously. “Speaking as the law in this town, I can assure you that the D.A. doesn't need any more ammunition against you right now.”
“Well, what the hell would you have done?” Matt demanded in frustration.
“Dammit, Matt, you castrated the man,” he pointed out sternly.
“I made damn sure he'd never rape another woman,” he said flatly and drained his glass.
Brett sighed in resignation and picked up a pen. “Just give me the facts about what happened and nothing else.” Matt proceeded to tell him everything he could remember from the time he found Harley running through the woods. “The D.A. is gonna want to talk to you. I strongly suggest you have Luke present and keep your mouth shut.” Brett said as he finished writing it all down in the report. He gave his friend a look of regret and said, “You know I have no choice but to arrest you for assault.”
Technically, he should have been charged with attempted murder, but Brett wasn't going to make that call unless the district attorney pushed the issue. Since Jerry was out of town on a fishing trip, it would be tomorrow morning before they'd know what the official charge was. That meant Matt was gonna have to spend the night in jail, as bail couldn't be set until the D.A. decided the severity of the crime. He could have called the Assistant D.A. in, but Matt had insisted he'd rather wait for Jerry to get back since the final decision would be his anyway.
“Do what you have to.” Matt agreed in resignation. He'd known the consequences of his actions and gone after Cass anyway. But Matt didn't regret beating the bastard half to death. If he had to do it over again, he wouldn't change a thing. Nobody hurt his family and got away with it. The sick son of a bitch was lucky he was still alive.
Chapter Eleven
Monday, May 27, 2013
Matt spent a long, miserable night in jail wondering how his wife was doing and worried about what his son would think of his actions. This was not the kind of example he wanted to set for Jed, but dammit, he hadn't been thinking about his son's reaction. His only aim had been to protect his wife and make damn sure the bastard who'd dared hurt her suffered as much as she had.
Brett stayed with him and he had talked about Harley for most of the night. The chief now knew everything there was to know about Matt's relationship with his wife. He didn't have a doubt that his friend was hopelessly in love with the woman, and had been since the night he'd met her. When it seemed they might finally get together after fifteen years, this incident could result in a prison term that would keep the couple apart even longer. What a mess.
Mark spent the night in a chair outside of Harley's hospital room, being fussed over by very attentive nurses, while Claire slept restlessly in a recliner next to the bed. Jedidiah took his grandson home and explained the situation to him, and then he, Luke and John spent the remainder of the evening assuring the angry, terrified boy that everything would be alright. Cass spent most of the night in the operating room and was listed in critical, but stable condition around dawn.
~~~~
When Harley awoke that morning, she opened her eyes, saw her mother sitting beside the bed and asked anxiously, “Where's Matthew?”
“Brett arrested him.” Claire said gently. “But Luke said not to worry about it. He's handling everything.”
“Did he kill him?” She asked fearfully.
“No, honey. The bastard is in stable condition.” Her mother assured her and was wounded to her very soul at what her daughter had been through. For the first time, she understood why her youngest child had insisted on separate bedrooms during her marriage to a man that she had obviously loved. Harley had undoubtedly been afraid of letting anyone touch her again. “Are you alright?”
“I don't know.” Harley admitted. Thanks to the heavy sedation, the events of the previous day still seemed surreal. “How's Jed?”
“He's fine.” Claire assured her. “His grandpa is taking care of him. Mark's been here all night, so he's kept me informed about everything.”
“When can I leave?”
“Since they were just keeping you for observation, the doctor should release you when he makes his rounds,” she assured her. “Brett wants you to come down to the station and give him a statement. Do you think you're up to that?”
“No.” Talking about the rape to Matthew had been hard enough, but discussing it with a virtual stranger was another matter all together. But Harley had to do it, because for once, Matthew needed her to defend him. She damn sure wasn't going to let him down now. “But I'll do it anyway.”
~~~~
Harley was still shaken up when Mark drove her and Claire home to shower and change before taking them to the police station. She wasn't surprised to see the entire Baker clan waiting for them on the steps and the show of support encouraged her even as it warmed her heart. These men were her family and she loved them dearly. That they felt the same about her was obvious.
Mark helped her out of the car and hugged her. “Nail that bastard to the wall, honey.”
She smiled tremulously at him and turned to face John. “Give em' hell, Sis.” he said and hugged her as well.
The smile became a little more wobbly when Luke embraced her and encouraged, “You can do this, Harley.”
Her chin was trembling when Jedidiah wrapped his arms around her and said with gentle gruffness, “Show 'em what the Baker women are made of, Harley gal.”
The tears began to fall when her son threw his arms around her and said in a tone far too serious for his years, “I'm proud of you, Mom.”
She melted into Matt's embrace as weak as a newborn kitten. “Are you sure you're up to this, baby?” He asked with a worried frown.
The smile she gave them all was shaky but confident. “With my family by my side, I can do anything.”
~~~~
Brett sighed wearily when the entire clan entered the building. He had discovered that the Baker's en mass were a handful to deal with, to say the least. “Harley, thank you for coming,” he said as he moved around the counter to shake her hand. “The District Attorney would like to sit in on the interview so you don't have to go through it twice. Is that alright with you?” He asked considerately.
“That's fine, Brett,” she reluctantly agreed and clung tightly to Matthew's hand. She followed the chief into his office where he reintroduced her to Jerry Wilson, the D.A. who she remembered from high school as a quiet, considerate young man.
“I'm sorry to meet you again under these circumstances, Mrs. Baker.” Jerry greeted her formally with a kind smile. “We'll try not to keep you any longer than necessary.”
“Thank you, Jerry.” She said with feeling and sat in the chair that Brett held out for her in front of his desk.
“Would you excuse us, Matt?” Jerry asked politely. He'd already talked to the other man and there was no need for him to have to sit through the interview.
“No!” Harley exclaimed and tightened her hold on his hand. She needed Matthew's strength to help her get through this.
“Are you sure?” The D.A. asked in surprise. In his experience, women generally had a harder time discussing something as humiliating as rape when their spouse was present. Then again, Matt and Harley had never been the average couple.
“I want Matthew to stay,” she insisted and looked up at him pleadingly.
Matt moved behind her chair and placed his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. “I'll be right here, baby,” he promised.
“Alright then,” Jerry acquiesced easily. If it would make he
r more comfortable, he certainly didn't have a problem with it. “Can you start by telling us what happened to you thirteen years ago?”
Harley tried to relate the nightmare to them without getting hysterical again, but a couple of times she had to stop when it became too much for her. Brett gave her a glass of water when she broke down the first time, and a shot of whiskey the second. Harley managed to finish the explanation a bit more calmly after that, but it was obvious that she was under tremendous emotional strain.
After watching the torment on Matt's face as his wife explained every gruesome detail of the attack, Brett couldn't blame his friend for trying to kill Cass. He was even more amazed now at the amount of restraint he had shown by just beating the bastard unmercifully.
“And what happened yesterday?” Jerry queried. She explained how she had gone to the cove to face the demons from her past and wound up face to face with the rapist. “How can you be certain it was the same man?” He asked intently.
“Who else could it have been?” Harley asked with a frown. “He was wearing a ski mask and he smelled like wintergreen.”
“And you recall both of those details from the first attack as well?” He pressed.
What the Baker's didn't know, was that there were three unsolved rapes on the books that were almost identical to the attack that she had described, but not nearly as brutal. All of the other victims had also reported the man smelled like some type of mint and wore a ski mask. Jerry had no doubt that Cass Hobbs was a serial rapist and he wanted to make damn sure the case against him was sound.
“Yes,” she agreed. “It was him.”
“I appreciate how difficult this must be, Harley. I just have one more question for you.” Jerry said as he looked over the reports from the Baker men's recount of yesterdays attack. “While your family were...” he paused to choose a tactful description, “interrogating Mr. Hobbs, they demanded he tell them something about the first incident that only the rapist would know.” He looked up from the file, met her gaze evenly and said, “He claimed that you had been a virgin when he assaulted you. Is that correct?”
